13-Year-Old Student Kills Two Women in Brazil School Shooting, Authorities Say

A school shooting occurred on Tuesday in Acre state, northern Brazil, resulting in two women dead and two injured, including an underage student. The incident took place at the public school Instituto Sao Jose in Rio Branco, the state capital.

The 13-year-old suspect admitted to carrying out the attack using a gun owned by a legal guardian, reportedly his stepfather, who was also detained. Two female staff members died at the scene, while another staff member and a student were injured; the latter, an 11-year-old girl, sustained injuries to her leg.

Local media reported scenes of terror as students tried to escape over a six-meter-high wall separating the school from a hotel. The state expressed deep solidarity with the victims’ families and announced that classes had been suspended for three days across all schools in the region. Psychological support teams were mobilized to assist affected students and teachers.

Brazil has seen an increase in attacks on educational institutions, including incidents in Ceara in September 2025, Sao Paulo in October 2023, Minas Gerais in October 2023, Santa Catarina in April 2023, and two separate school shootings in 2022.